ECONET SL

Their core work

ECONET SL is a Madrid-based consultancy that supports EU-funded innovation ecosystems as a third-party service provider, specializing in SME acceleration, digital transformation support, and technology transfer. Their work spans operating within FIWARE accelerator programs, supporting Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs), and facilitating SME access to advanced manufacturing and digitization resources. They appear to deliver business consulting, market access, and innovation support services within larger EU project frameworks rather than conducting R&D directly.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ECONET began in the FIWARE accelerator ecosystem (IMPACT GROWTH, 2016) and connected car value chains, focused on digital startups and SME acceleration. From 2019 onward, their involvement shifted toward more infrastructure-oriented digital topics: self-sovereign identity (eSSIF-Lab), pan-European DIH networks, and advanced manufacturing digitization (PULSATE). This suggests a move from startup acceleration toward broader digital infrastructure and industrial digitization support.

ECONET is moving from pure startup acceleration toward supporting SME adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies through Digital Innovation Hub networks — a space with growing EU funding.

How they like to work

ECONET participates exclusively as a third party, meaning they are subcontracted by consortium partners rather than being formal consortium members. Despite this indirect role, they have touched 53 unique partners across 17 countries, indicating they are well-connected within EU innovation networks. This third-party-only pattern suggests they provide specialized consulting services that project consortia buy in as needed, rather than committing to full project partnerships.

Despite operating only as a third party, ECONET has indirect connections to 53 organizations across 17 countries, reflecting the breadth of the large Innovation Action consortia they contribute to. Their network spans Western and Southern Europe with no single dominant geographic cluster.

What sets them apart

ECONET occupies a niche as a flexible consulting SME that plugs into large EU innovation projects without the overhead of formal consortium membership. Their value lies in practical SME support and market knowledge — bridging the gap between EU-funded technology platforms and the small businesses meant to benefit from them. For consortium builders, they offer a low-commitment way to add business development and SME engagement capacity.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PULSATE
  Their most recent and longest project (2020-2024), focused on pan-European DIH infrastructure for SME digitization in advanced manufacturing — signals their current strategic direction
• eSSIF-Lab
  Entry into self-sovereign identity, a distinct departure from their SME acceleration roots, suggesting exploration of emerging digital trust technologies
• IMPACT GROWTH
  Their earliest H2020 involvement, operating as a FIWARE accelerator — establishes their origin in the EU digital startup ecosystem